Winter has Come
by thepkrmgc
Summary: An AU novelization of DAO with a blended cast of characters from Dragon Age and AGOT. It tells the story of the 5th blight through the eyes of Jon Cousland and his compatriots. When the Others invade Ferelden you win or you die: there is no second place.
1. Wake the sleepers

Winter is coming prologue

Authors note: All characters belong to their respective owners.

The Seven teach us that it is the hubris of men which brought the Others into our world. Man had stolen fire from the gods, who brought ice into the world. The dead returned as monsters, the first of the wights. They became a blight upon the lands, unstoppable and relentless. The dwarven kingdoms were the first to fall. And from the lands of endless winter, the others drove at us again and again, until finally we neared annihilation... until the Night Wardens came. Men and women from every race, warriors and mages, barbarians and kings, the Night Wardens sacrificed everything to stem the tide of darkness, and prevailed. It has been four centuries since that victory, and we have kept our vigil. We have watched and waited for the Others to return. But those, who once called us heroes, have forgotten. We are few now, and our warnings have been ignored for too long. It may even be too late, for I have seen with my own eyes what lies upon the horizon. Seven save us all.

First ranger Alistair of the Night Wardens

A cold wind blew through the wilds. Alistair held his cloak close and thought of the warm cheeses awaiting him back at the wall. He had to make it back first, and the wights were closing in. They had been three once: but Royce had fallen to a blade of ice and Will to his brother's cold dead hands. Alistair had only just made it out alive, sent to warn the watch of their old foe's return. "Bloody good job I'm doing of that, stuck out here an hour from the wall with the dead on my heels".

It was too late for regrets, the foe was on all sides. He drew his burning blade from its place at his side, took up the horn on his back and sets to work. The horn calls once as his blade sets a chasind ablaze. It calls again as he brings peace to a fallen brother. The wights melt before him as his horn blasts its final breath in defiance of the silence of the night.

**IN WAR VICTORY**

The horn falls from his hand as he meets the pale blue eyes of the adversary, its crystalline sword upraised.

**IN PEACE VIGILANCE**

The warden rushes forth, hot steel shining in the dead of night. The other's ephemeral blade cutting through black mail like paper.

**IN DEATH SACRIFICE**

The other takes the blade in the chest, its frosty armor cutting like cheese before the blazing blade. The keening wail it makes as it melts is the last thing the old ranger hears.

(author commentary): A while back I did a role play of dragon age origins using the character of Jon Snow as a model for a human noble. When I discovered fanfiction I was astounded that there were almost no dragon age/ASOIF crossovers considering that they are so many parallels between the stories and characters.

I was originally planning to record the events of that play through via "the diary of Jon Cousland". But when I was starting to storyboard it, it kind of expanded out of control and turned completely alternate universe. Comment if you have any ideas or suggestions, if they are neat/fitting ill find a way to work them in.

Sorry to kill Alistair but I have no idea how to write him and the prologue character always dies: I hope I gave him a fittingly epic demise

Enjoy!


	2. Children of Summer

Winter has come Chapter one

All characters belong to their respective owners,

Jon had hardly believed his ears when he heard that the king had called the banners, let alone that they were to be fighting Others. None had been seen for centuries and he had thought that they existed only in Nan's tales. Yet Fergus was riding south to the Wall on the morrow by order of king Renly himself and taking all the strength of Highever with him. Barring himself of course, the _bastard _would never be permitted to wear the mabari sigil of the Couslands or ride with the great "Hounds of Highever". He had had to excuse himself from his fathers court to go take his anger out on the training dummies lest his bastard fist break a nose above his station to wipe.

About an hour (and several target dummies) later Ghost nudged him gently to remind him that he still had duties to perform. At least they couldn't take Ghost away from him: the albino mabari stood a yard tall at the shoulder and was half again as long. Anyone who tried to separate a mabari from his master was likely to end up lacking the hand (or arm in Ghost's case) they tried with. While the furball was always dragging him into trouble, people found it harder to call him _bastard_ with the Cousland sigil looking them in the eye. Ghost nudged him again, drawing his attention back to the matter at hand and Jon promptly set off to the great hall. Father had requested his presence and the Teryn was best not kept waiting.

While Bryce had mentioned that the "pup" lacked tact Duncan hadn't expected the boy to come in in his training leathers and fill the air with questions about his father's guest. Duncan had seen the boy once before, though it was a lifetime ago. It was the beginning of the end of the Orlesian occupation and Jon was but a boy in his mothers arm's...

Bryce must have noticed Duncan's thoughtful gaze because no sooner had Jon left to arrange for Duncan's lodgings then he said in a voice so soft as to be almost mournful, " I promised her that I would keep him safe" his friends eyes not leaving the place where the boy had stood

"If this battle is lost…" Duncan gravely intoned.

Anger filled Bryce's voice as he turned on the Warden Commander "I know the cold ones march once more: the north remembers. Bards still sing of the long night and in the crypts lay many a Cousland warden. You will have the Hounds at your back; must you take my sons as well?

Images flashed in Duncan's mind of his bear of a son, marching south to war even as his wife grows large with child in Redcliff. The Warden's teeth clenched involuntarily as he replied, "We do what we must in order to bring the dawn, even the children of summer must prepare for the coming frost".

Author commentary: aaaannd here's Jon, more coming shortly, this just seemed like a good stopping point.

If anyone can guess who duncan's son is I will give them a credit in the next chapter.

Enjoy!


	3. Wherever Castless Go

Winter has come chapter two

Authors note: All characters belong to GRRM and Bioware respectively. 

Of all the places prince Tyrion Aeducan had ever woken up in, the cell his father threw him in ranked among the worst. His cell within the bowels of the Orzammar royal palace smelled of deep mushroom and nug piss and was far from the lava springs that gave the city life. In the deep roads one quickly learned to fear the cold.

Tyrion had once thought of himself as a smart dwarf. Now… he wasn't so sure. He had been outplayed, simple as that. And in the proving grounds of his father's court there were no second chances. It was said that there was honor among thieves. Tyrion had only known one thief and for a regrettably short time at that, if _she_ was the example then the adage was most certainly true.

"All hail Low king Tywin Aeducan! May the stone reject him when he falls". The old dwarf must have forgotten that Tyrion was as deft with his hands as with his words. The hours he'd spent practicing his lock picking on the palace locks had paid off, the cell door was open as soon as the guard was out of earshot and slipped into the shadows. The courtiers of the crimson thaig could make a cats footfalls sound like hob nailed boots on tile: Tyrion was a legend among them. A life on the surface was his for the taking.

A wise dwarf would have cut his losses and ran. But after Bhelen framed him for killing Trian and his father _just stood by. _Succinctly put, wisdom was no longer a priority. He was requesitioning a set of leathers from the armory for his own ends when he noticed _her_ crossbow hanging from a peg and mutttered " Codger never did throw away anything that he could subvert and use as a tool for his own ends…" as he strapped on a matching quiver. Tyrion slotted in a quarrel and sighted the bow before setting off for his father's quarters. An Aeducan pays his debts

Although Tywin had expected Tyrion to escape from the dungeon sooner or later, the boy had chosen a rather inconvenient time to make his appearance. He had known that the expedition was a set up from the start, that Tyrion had fallen for it was quite simply disappointing.

It was a shame about Trian of course, but the boy was never suited for kingship. He had not fought for House Aeducan's place on the Dragonbone Seat these last 70 years only to see it fall into the hands of another smith king like Tytos: now that simply would not do.

The click of a crossbow's safety latch brought Tywin's attention back to the matter at hand. There was a glint in Tyrion's eyes that beared addressing, Tywin cut through the silence with his measured voice:

"What need you bring a crossbow to my commode? Surely you know I would never brand an Aeducan as casteless. You will go to the surface and join those Night Wardens they hold in such high regard. When you achieve station as befits your birth you will lead them to retake the thaigs for the glory of House Aeducan. It is time our house had another paragon, much longer and the deshyrs will get ideas above their station. Now put down the crossbow and let us talk of your future in the lands of the surface"

That only seemed to make Tyrion angrier, had he perchance misjudged the boy? The crossbow didn't waiver as his son replied: his deep baritone full of restrained emotion:

"Caste is all you ever cared about, isn't it _father_. Even as Trian lay dead before you and the true culprit clear for all to see. You called me _kinslayer_ before the entire assembly, and you expect me to meekly obey just as when you took my casteless bride. _I warn you father,_ I am no longer a boy to be scolded for loving someone below his station."

Tywin paused for a moment to recall who his son was referring to:

"Ah yes, the Brosca girl. She wormed her way into your bed and you thought yourself in love. I thought I had taught you better then that, an Aeducan should be above such foolishness. She was dealt with as befits her station."

Tyrion's jaw clenched in anger and his voice was filled with icy rage as he spoke:

"_**WHERE DID YOU SEND HER"**_

" Wherever casteless go…"

The crossbow's thrum echoed throughout the hallowed halls and the stones of the Crimson thaig drank kingsblood once more.

In the end Tywin Aeducan did not, in fact, shit gold.

Author commentary: Everyone's favorite dwarf takes the stage with crossbow in hand, it will be hard to write up to his ASOIF humor levels (_they're over 9000!)_ but I'll give it my best shot.

I was originally going to have him introduced as Duncan's companion or met with (dao cannon) Alistair at the wall, but I figured he was best introduced in a familiar situation so I put him in his own element this story practically wrote itself.

Special thanks to all of my friends who looked at my creative writing and said it was worth sharing: you guys make it all worthwhile.


	4. Fire and Blood

Winter has Come Chapter three: Fire and Blood**_  
_**

_**Standard fanfiction disclaimer: All intellectual property belongs to its rightful owners.**_

Arl Walder "the late lord" Howe lived up to his reputation as the Amaranthine forces marched in alongside the last whispers of dusk. Though they were caked in dust and sweaty from the road, to Ghost's acute senses treachery clung to them like a musky Antivan cologne. While the knight of the gate received no satisfactory reason as to their late arrival he nonetheless let them through the doors. The teyrn was abed and a mere knight could not countermand an Arl of the realm.

Lord Walder's men ate of Cousland bread and salt then turned their knives on those that served them. The few guards that had not left with Fergus were butchered in their beds as they slept off their evening mead, and the streets soon ran red with Cousland blood. The whelps in the kennel raised their voices in alarm until they too were silenced. Ghost would never forget the plaintive whimpering of his puppies, hiding under the straw in their cages as the kennel burned down around them. Tears matted his fur as he ran through the streets of the burning city in search of his sleeping master. "_He could do nothing for them"._

The heartbroken hound jumped the keep's moat and fell upon a pike man at the servant's entrance, his powerful jaws snapping the hastily raised haft before tearing at the mercenary's throat. The man's blood tasted of _**vengeance**_.

Ghost lived up to his name as he made his way to his master's den moving like a veritable spirit of wrath. This was _his _castle and the unsuspecting victims who dared intrude upon his domain posed no more trouble then the rats he had flushed from the larder this morning.

Awakened by the plaintive whimpering of children in his dreams. Jon woke to find a footpad climbing through his window, knife held between his teeth. Though his mind was in a sleep deprived haze, his body had years of training to fall back on. As he vaulted out of his spartan bed, his hands fell upon the only thing in reach. The chamber pot took the would-be assassin full in the face: splattering its contents everywhere and sending him tumbling back out the window.

The smell of smoke banished all thoughts of sleep from Jon's mind. He retrieved Needle from its hiding place under the floorboards. While he had planned to give the blade to his favorite niece upon her tenth birthday, it seemed he would need to put it to good use if either of them were to survive the night.

Jon burst from his room to find Ghost circling a qunari mercenary clad in full plate. The behemoths suit of plate mail was not ornamental not even Ghost's jaws could punch through steel. The brute's oversized greatsword promised sharp retribution for any attempt. But the ox-man was slow and could not managed to land a blow on the elusive dog, instead forcing them into a stalemate of sorts. Jon's entrance changed things however, as ghost feigned retreat Jon circled in behind the beast-man, ramming his short blade into the gap behind the knee joint and twisting for maximum effect. Jon had expected his mabari to finish the giant but Ghost spitefully left the crippled qunari to bleed out and patiently waited for him to kneel for the customary doggie greeting. Wiping the slobber off his face Jon gave the dog a solemn nod and the pair set off in search of the rest of the Cousland line.

What they found was the stuff of nightmares. Howe's hired knives had turned his childhood home into an abattoir. Jon lost count of the number of Howe's men he killed as he searched for the lost: but one thing was certain: _it would never be enough_.

The worst was found in the chantry. While his sister-in-law had never treated him as anything but the bastard he was: Jon had retched when he found Sansa curled underneath the statues of the seven, arms wrapped around young Rickon to shield him from a rain of blows that never ceased. The image of the mangled boy would feature prominently in his nightmares till the end of his days.

A pair of men-at-arms with shields bearing the twin towers of amaranthine and for a time there is only the warrior fighting for his life amid a sea of fire and blood. And a boy silently weeping for innocence lost, wishing his mother was there to hold him.

Duncan finds the boy on his knees amid a roomful of corpses, crying into the shoulder of his faithful friend. The mabari welcomes him with a quick nod of the head and a pointed glance at the boy on its shoulder accompanied by a concerned gaze. Despite all the horrors of the previous night Duncan couldn't help but let out a tired laugh. He took the boy on his shoulder and head out into the streets to organize a cremation schedule among the survivors. The septons claimed that cremation was necessary for the soul to become one with the seven. Duncan wasn't sure what happened after death, but when the blightwinter came the living soon learned to burn the dead lest they die themselves. 

_**Author Commentary: **_**Man this chapter was a doozy to write. I must have hit several dozen walls of writers block, but now that its past I can move on to more interesting story developments and start hitting places where I can step away from directly recreating events from both cannons and move on to more blended/original material. **

**Be aware that Sansa (like Alistair) is like 15 years older in this fic then in cannon, in fact up just about everyone's age by about 5 years on general principles, I don't want to put children through the events of dragon age (or ASOIF for that matter). While the stuff I write tends to be dramatic I don't want to overstep that T rating, if you feel that I take anything too far please tell me and I will dial things back.**


	5. Blood of Drakon

Winter has Come by thepkrmgc

Chapter Four: Blood of Drakon

**_Standard fanfiction disclaimer: All intellectual property belongs to its rightful owners._**

Daenerys wasn't sure if she believed her brothers tales of a world beyond the Circle of Magi. New apprentices were constantly being tossed in of course, but the cold stone walls were the only horizon she had ever seen. Viserys had told her that they had been taken from their birthright by the Templar _usurpers_ when she had been a babe in arms. While Dany cherished his stories, she did wish that he would tell them quieter. The Templars were always listening and they frowned upon anything that might give mages _ideas_.

She knew he fought day and night to shield her from Templars and demons alike but for all he boasted about being "the blood of Drakon" he was only human. Dany had learned long ago that fighting only singled you out as "_someone to watch" _and had shaved her silver-gold hair in order to more easily blend in with the crowd. Viserys had never learned that lesson and wore his lustrous hair down to his waste, even as he gathered an ever growing collection of burns and bruise: carrying each scar like a badge of honor earned in his one man crusade for freedom. Had he not been among the most powerful elementalist's of his generation he would surely have been publicly executed. The Templars liked to make examples of mages who voiced their discontent. As it was Viserys boasted of foiling their numerous covert attempts on his person, loudly announcing things like, "A wizard who is tired of picking broken glass out of his dinner is tired of life" when rations were handed out.

Dany often wished that she could ease her brother's pain. But despite the countless hours of instruction spent with Wynne she could not heal so much as a stubbed toe, let alone the myriad injuries her brother earned in her defense. Yet the power the seven had withheld from creation they lavished on destruction: fire catered to her beck and call like a dog to its master, needing only her permission to be at her side. Though Daenerys was gentle by nature and would have preferred to heal pain rather then inflict it there was no denying its usefulness: the circle tower was a dangerous place.

Centuries of demonic incursions had sundered the veil, and the barrier between planes was so thin as to be almost nonexistent. Demons could manifest at will, any apprentice separated from the herd was easy prey for the hunger demons that roamed the labyrinthine corridors of the tower. Yet the common rooms held their own perils, as not even the most senior enchanters were completely immune to the voices in their heads. Every so often a mage would _snap_ and fling themselves at the Templars, unleashing their magic on anyone in their way.

Not even the animals were immune. A blond haired apostate had managed to smuggle in his pet kitten a few years back. Poor Ser Pounce A Lot had hardly been in the tower a week when he was possessed by a demon of vengeance: the little thing had ambushed a dozen Templars before it tried the same trick on knight commander Gregoir and was put out of its misery. In the tower even the mosquitos were possessed by hunger demons.

While friendship among mages was discouraged by the Templar overseers, a cabal of sorts had sprung up around the Amell siblings. First had been Jowan, the klutzy boy had initially gravitated toward her brother in hopes of protection. Viserys always had a weakness for sycophants and jowan had toaught her the finer points of avoiding templar attention. And then there was Edric: she had met the young Surana during one of her fruitless sessions with Wynne. The rambunctious elf was a libertarian prodigy, and his nigh miraculous healing skills were often held up as an example of the good magekind could do if they were let off their leash. After Edric had cured the knight commander's favorite niece of greyscale such talk was carefully ignored.

Although one would be hard pressed to find a set of two individuals more dissimilar then the affable healer and timid pyromancer, the two soon became fast friends. If the disquieting atmosphere that pervaded the tower impeded normal relations, it ensured that the ones that survived the gauntlet were bound in blood. Of late Daenerys had taken increasing notice of his winsome smile and how she always felt safer when he was nearby, his warm presence like a cozy fire against the tower's cold stone. She had been building up the nerve to ask whether those feeling were shared when the day of her harrowing came at last.

_**Author commentary: World-building is HARD, and trying to keep a schedule amid the trials of life is even harder. Trying my hand at writing a fic of my own has given me a new respect for those masters of the craft who keep it together and tell the stories we all love to see. **_

_**While most of the ASOIF characters are older then cannon, we are seeing Dany at the age she is in in AGOT. **_

_**Enjoy!**_


	6. storyboard and notes

Authors note: sadly I don't have the time to continue winter has come, it started as a bundle of character allusions and a DAO play through as Jon cousland, a two handed sword wielding Templar/champion who cured the werewolves, sided with the mages, put Behlen on the throne without the anvil, romanced an unhardened Leliana but married Anora for the sake of the realm before letting Loghain kill the archdemon. This fic was initially planned as a diary of his adventures but soon expanded out of control to a point beyond my meager writing skills.

I hope that someone more skilled then I can do the concept justice.

Winter has come storyboard

Format, diary entry's from jon as the primary narrative but the other characters journals. forming stuff that jon cant know about.

Cast of characters

Jon Cousland age 18 at the start : the human noble and primary protagonist, he tells the story via his diary, written in camp immediately after events occur. He is the bastard son of Bryce Cousland and tries to overcome his heritage. He is honorable to a fault and very conservative. He lacks charisma and is sheltered from the harsh realities of the world. brother of Fergus and uncle of arya and siblings, wielder of Ice, a summer child, he knows not the winds of winter, he is proud to be ferelden born and raised and dislikes orlesians on principle

Ghost: an albino mabari who comforts jon and fights at his side, if need be we can see jon through his eyes for a dog's eye view through him we see jons weaknesses/confessions (jon talks to his dog)

Arya cousland age 12 : (a preteen) survives highever (secretly) (I want to tie her plot in with the crows and zevran, because jon would just execute him) she is the one that eventually kills walder but I don't think she will join the main party she is jon and fergus's little sister, it would also be cool to have her get pulled into the city elf storyline after highever

Her plot with zev: she meets and befriends him during

Bronn/Brosca: male dwarf commoner origin, pardoned/hired by tyrion pre banishment (fem dwarf commoner is leske)

Zevran ariani: the crows get a serious badass upgrade from the faceless men, zev appears in the first arya pov as a cameo "antivan duelist" training arya

Leilanna age 45 : to similar a name to lyanna to not be significant, she is jons mother by Bryce and an orleasian bard to boot, she is reluctant to tell jon in light of his dislike of orlesians and she belives he has enough on his mind, she approves of dany, she went to the lothering chantry after jon's birth and the rebellion, she recognizes jon when he passes through,

Stannis mac tyr age 65, well-intentioned extremist, a strong beliver in the ends justifies the means, he is rumored to have killed cailain and leads the army away from the wall when he dies, abandoning the wardens, father of Anora and brilliant general, jon see's him as the hero of the river dane but belives the rumors, stannis accuses the wardens of incompetence and calls them traitors for failing to hold the wall, we see the civil war from his strategy reports, he makes the ultimate sacrifice

Cailan Theirin age 16, king of Fereldan and covert gay, son of the late Robert theirin, husband of anora, their meeting is recorded in the diary, he dies mysteriously while jon is ranging (not a pov)

Tyrion Aeducan age 25, a veteran of orzammar game of thrones, tyrion killed his father and sister before being banished to the wardens, favoring the crossbow (called tysha) after the disaster at the wall tyrion follows takes a shine to jon and advises him in intrigue in a manner similar to young griff, he is characterized over chess games in the diary, he was recuited by duncan on the way to highever, he is our poltitican and we see the game of thrones through him

Fergus age 17: legitmate son of Bryce and husband to sansa, father bran, and rickon, fast friends with jon he is sent to lead the men to the wall before the attack and disappears on a ranging before the wall falls (not a pov)

Duncan halfhand age 80, lord commander of the wardens and friend of Bryce, he drags Jon away from the buring castle but dies in the attack on the wall, surrounded by darkspawn, (not a pov)

Walder Howe age 95: Evil bastard who's men sack highever (not a pov)

Edric Surana

Morrigan age ?, a wildling mage and jon (who is utterly luddite about magic) avoids her if at all possible and mistrusts her, ( we see dark magic and her visions in the fires during her pov)

Alistair age 35: this grizzled warden introduces the story and talks about the coming blightwinter, he dies at the hands of the others but kills a few with his flame runed sword first

Bann teagan: john uncle and reasonable authority figure

Danerey's amell age 15: a pyromancer of unheard of skill though she doesn't look it, she has an unrequited crush on jon (who is clueless about it), she is incredibly naive as a result of growing up in the circle. She is viseries sister but lies about her heritage to jon in light of his dislike of orlesians

Viseries amell age 25: takes the role of uldered and runs with it, but viseries is no abomination, he has enough pride and madness without one. He truly believes that he is the rightful king: being the son of the orleasian ruler of ferelden he might have a point brother to dany but the opposite in every other way, he didn't grow up in the circile and longs for freedom

Sten: is sten (I can imagine him with dothraki motifs)

Seireis of events

Prologue: "winter is coming" it starts with Alistair talking about the coming winter and the origin of the others before his death,

Jon 1: Jon's pov describing the events of a normal day in jons life (human noble orgin pre attack) everthing is at peace, he gives arya needle and see's Fergus off to the wall

Jon 2, jon describes the events of the attack, he is traumatised and in denial, having seen the corpses of sansa, bran and rickon, Bryce and not having found arya afterwards, he manged to save ice though and takes solace in the desire to take vengacne on Howe, Cat motivated by revenge drops her grievance with jon and kills walders men ,tyrion is introduced as a traveling companion but jon is to self absorbed to pay attemtion to him

Chapter two Day after the joining, he records his meeting with the king and introduces alistair, and morrigan is introduced during the ranging (which takes some time and cost the lives of jory and daveth) in order to get darkspawn blood, he records the warden/night watch oath but his writing is cut short when three blasts of the warhorn sound before the ritual

Three, jon is writing while recovering at flemiths hut, describing the catastophy at the wall and the heroic deaths of cameo characters (before his rescue) and describes the intial reaction to tyrion and Alistair, it also introduces magic into the crossover and establishes jon's Templar mindset, when jon only accepts her "help" after pressuring by tyrion and Alistair,

Four set after lothering jon justifyies the recruitment of sten and leilania by saying the watch accepts all comers despite shunning morrigan, jon explains his tactical plans for dealing with the blight, first to redcliff to call for aid from his grandfather)

5 jon is writing after redcliff village, it is attacked by wights and the battle turns pear shaped, there are survivors thanks to jon's arrival and preparation

6, jon writes after redcliff castle, he kills bran (who had escaped to redcliff ) and executes jowan for blood magic without mercy, hoster is still sick though, and nothing short of a mirical will save him

upon hearing news of abominations in the ciricle tower he resolves to assist the Templars in their holy duty

7, written in amound the surviving mages at the base of the tower, arrives at the circle tower and initially approves of the rite of annulment before seeing the mages fighting against the abominations ( in defence of children and lead by Dany) he refrains from annulling them

revised chapter three storyboard: jon witnesses the start of the sack of highever by walder howes forces in ghost's skin while sleeping, ghost escapeds the slaughter to wake his master (alongside several of his packmates) killing an assassin entering jons chambers being injured in the process

jon wakes up and searches and rescue for jons nieces and nephews: of them sansa (jons sister in law) is found dead alongside her son rickon. Neither arya nor bran are found (arya's assassin is dead with a knitting needle, summer pulled a heroic sacrifice to save bran)

revised chapter four story

enter the amell siblings, dany describes growing up in the circle trying to avoid the attentions of the merciless templars. The veil in the circile tower is virtually nonexistent and the mages are under constant threat from the unwilling possession from demons (should their willpower fade). Mages are going critical on a regular basis without warning and attempt to kill their brothers as well as the templars. In this environment of constant danger dany forms an unlikely friendship with Edric Surana and Jowan Her big brother viseries is constantly fighting to protect her from demons and Templar abuse both. but in the face of repeated failures gradually grows frustrated and rebellious over the mages station in life and falls into darker humors, first using excessive retribution out on those who harm her before blaming her for being the victim in the first place,

In contrast to her brothers eye for an eye mentality dany finds a comforting mother figure in wynne who tries to teach dany creation magic, unfortunately despite how much she wants to learn how to heal she lacks the knack for creation magic (though edric is a prodigy), instead being so proficient with fire magic as to scare herself to the point of hiding her talents out of fear that she will hurt someone.

We see the harrowing through her perspective, the fade is a twisting place of illusions like the house of the undying, instead of being sent to fight a demon the objective is to resist temptation, it is a test of will not of magic.

Jowan asks dany to help him escape but refuses, scared of Templar retribution and anxious about leaving her home. Edric, the troublemaker goes along with it, unaware that jowan had learned blood magic from viseries, dany witnesses the confrontation and watches as her only freids run out the door while she hide


End file.
